UNIONDALE, N.Y., Aug. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Marquis Who's Who honors Slobodan S. Bekvalac for his leadership in adaptive architecture. Mr. Bekvalac is recognized as an industry leader and for his contributions to architecture and urban planning. As the owner of BECK Architects, he brings five decades of experience encompassing several public and private projects. He continues to pursue what he considers the next substantial contribution to the field.
A Career in Traditional Architecture
Throughout his career, Mr. Bekvalac has built a substantial body of traditional work. Before relocating to the United States, he worked in Belgrade alongside two architects, including Uglješa Bogunovic and Professor Ivan Antic, both leading architects of the former Yugoslavia, and gained early experience on large-scale projects.
After settling in the United States in 1982, Mr. Bekvalac held design and project architect roles with several firms, including Joseph Roth Architects and Davis, Brody & Associates, before joining the New York City School Construction Authority in 1991, where he remained until 2017. During that period, he focused on school design and urban planning while contributing to projects such as PS 24 in Sunset Park and the Leon M. Goldstein High School, located within the Kingsborough Community College campus in Coney Island.
"I was trying to deconstruct the school building into seven to 10 basic elements," Mr. Bekvalac says. "On one floor, you have classroom-sized spaces. On the other floor, everything is empty, so you can do whatever you wish to do."
Since 2017, Mr. Bekvalac has continued this traditional practice with BECK Architects, where he has contributed to small-scale projects while addressing construction challenges that emerge between design and execution. "When you think about the plan and then see the finished building, there are always joints that need to be covered," he explains.
Developing Open Architectural Systems
Alongside his traditional practice, Mr. Bekvalac has spent decades developing his own open architectural systems, an independent body of work he describes as introducing life into structures. The concept treats a building much like a living document: rather than remaining fixed once construction ends, spaces are designed to expand, modify or reduce as the needs of their users change.
"I had a double life, working and trying to develop many things in my system approach to architecture," Mr. Bekvalac says. "I was really trying to introduce elements of life so that architectural spaces can follow the life of the user."
Central to this approach are modular design principles built around new frameworks that make it possible to adjust the properties of a structure over time. In Mr. Bekvalac's open architectural system, the technical aspects of the design process are handled automatically, which frees the designer to focus on the creative dimension of a project.
Mr. Bekvalac sees this work as his most significant contribution to architecture, and he continues to develop it to advance the field further.
Early Influences and Personal Perspective
Mr. Bekvalac's father worked with contemporary furniture. This upbringing sparked his early interest in design and led him to earn a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Architecture in Serbia, followed by postgraduate studies at the University of Stuttgart.
Music also informs Mr. Bekvalac's approach to architectural structure and simplicity. "At its core, music is built on a five-note line," he adds. "With just a few symbols and elements, you can create anything, from a simple melody to a full symphony." The comparison reflects the same principle he applies to his systems: a strong, flexible foundation capable of supporting many different outcomes.
Civic Service and Purposeful Architecture
Beyond his professional work, Mr. Bekvalac remains civically engaged. He serves on the board of Lifeline New York and continues to support humanitarian organizations. He also enjoys reading and spending time with his three children.
Mr. Bekvalac's career reflects an architectural practice that values flexibility, sustainability and responsibility in construction. "We should be more intentional while designing with the ability to remove, disassemble and reuse every part of a structure," he says.
It is this combination of traditional expertise and forward-looking systems thinking that has made Mr. Bekvalac an influential leader in the field.
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